451
Lens Giveaway Contest / Re: *Contest* People - Post Here.
« on: October 06, 2011, 03:21:02 AM »
Wrong Place Wrong Time
May 25, 2013, 08:06:38 PM
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452
Australia / Re: Insurance
« on: October 05, 2011, 03:52:36 AM »
CBA also insure camera gear out of the house and for accidental damage (as an add-on to their house contents policy) and I don't remember this affecting the premium too much.
453
Australia / Re: Buying Camera gear in Aus? Who do you use?
« on: October 05, 2011, 03:35:52 AM »
You still have statutory rights. Australian sellers are caught by the new Consumer Law. This means that if a camera or lens is faulty, the retailer has to repair, replace or refund it. Although, you are still relying on the goodwill of the retailer to rectify the situation quickly. An unmotivated retailer (eg one that has to pay for the repairs out of their own pocket) could drag the process out and be very difficult to work with.
454
Canon General / Re: Photography - Equipment or Skill ?
« on: October 02, 2011, 09:12:08 PM »
Motivation - 50%
Inspiration - 30%
Skill - 10%
Camera - 10%
Inspiration - 30%
Skill - 10%
Camera - 10%
455
EOS Bodies / Re: Shooting in manual
« on: October 01, 2011, 12:16:15 AM »
I only use manual mode if I'm shooting with a flash. I don't own a Canon speedlite, so I just choose the speed and the aperture in manual mode and adjust the flash's strength until I get the outcome I want. I also do a lot of off-camera flash with a wireless trigger and manual mode is ideal for this.
The only other time I use it is when I'm attempting to get star trails using the Bulb setting. But this is very rare.
I tend to use Av most of the time.
The only other time I use it is when I'm attempting to get star trails using the Bulb setting. But this is very rare.
I tend to use Av most of the time.
456
EOS Bodies / Mandatory Autofocus and Shutter Sounds
« on: September 28, 2011, 03:16:56 AM »
Hi. I've just bought a new phone. When using the camera, you can't turn the shutter sound off (and it beeps every few seconds to confirm that it is in focus). Its very annoying! After doing a bit of research, it turns out that this is on purpose. Apparently there is legislation being debated in the US to make shutter sounds mandatory (I believe it is called the 'Camera Phone Predator Alert Act'). And some other countries have already introduced similar rules. How come nobody is discussing this? While we all know who this legislation is aimed at, there are numerous occassions when a silent camera makes sense (plays, presentations, speeches, wedding ceremonies etc). Plus, if you are some sort of perve, you'll just start using a P & S, anyway, and given that rules like these often expand over time, its not that hard to imagine it encompassing cameras in the future. Maybe the reason the 5Diii seems to be getting delayed is because they are being fitted with an extra loud compulsory "beep" every time you focus the camera that you won't be able to turn off? I'm just surprised that people from the US, being the home of rights and freedom, are proposing this.
457
Software & Accessories / Re: Canon Pixma PRO-1 [CR3]
« on: September 27, 2011, 08:56:50 PM »
I've often thought about getting a decent A3 printer. But there seems to be a lot of comments on the internet suggesting that the 9500 isn't as good as the Epson R3000 in the same price range. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the 9500? If it isn't as good as the competition, what does the Pro-1 need to improve on?
458
Lenses / Re: 3D EF lens
« on: September 26, 2011, 10:06:52 PM »
My new phone (HTC Evo 3D) has a 3D camera for stills and video. Have taken a few 3D photos and videos, and I have to admit it is very cool. But ulitmately I think it is a bit of a gimmick and I'm sure I will get bored with it soon and switch it back to 2D.
459
Canon General / Re: Improving composition - photography skills
« on: September 26, 2011, 08:30:23 PM »
Bright light in itself shouldn't be a problem. The problem usually relates to having both dark and bright things in the photo. To fix this, just be wary of situations where there is a lot of shade and a lot of brightness in the one photo. Try to get everything in a similar level of brightness. Taking photos on cloudy days, or placing your subject under a tree or under a shadow often helps.
Usually it is the sky around the middle of the day that causes the most problems. If this is your situation, just minimise the amount of sky in the photo. Most photographers like taking photos in the early morning and late afternoon when the sky isn't so bright. Shooting with your back to the sun (or your shadow pointing towards the subject) can also help.
You could also use a flash to raise the level of brightness of your subject to match the brightness of the sky.
If the problem is that the colours appear unsaturated, try using a lens hood and / or a polarizer filter. This helps reduce flare and glare and keeps colours vivid.
Usually it is the sky around the middle of the day that causes the most problems. If this is your situation, just minimise the amount of sky in the photo. Most photographers like taking photos in the early morning and late afternoon when the sky isn't so bright. Shooting with your back to the sun (or your shadow pointing towards the subject) can also help.
You could also use a flash to raise the level of brightness of your subject to match the brightness of the sky.
If the problem is that the colours appear unsaturated, try using a lens hood and / or a polarizer filter. This helps reduce flare and glare and keeps colours vivid.
460
Canon General / Re: Improving composition - photography skills
« on: September 26, 2011, 03:23:42 AM »
If you're into books, I recently read "The Art of Photography" by Bruce Barnbaum, which I thought was excellent. He tries to explain what makes a good photograph work. This book was very popular and many libraries would have a copy by now.
The Rule of Thirds is a good, safe way to go and works well. But as you start studying photography, you also start to realise that many of the most of the famous photos don't apply this rule (Quite a lot actually put the subject smack bang in the centre or have horizons straight through the middle!). Instead, it is more about getting the key elements in the photo to balance and work well with each other. I'll give some thought to this and see if I can come up with a simple way to describe what I mean.
On the lighter side, for some compositional tips, try: -
http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2006/06/great-photographers-on-internet.html
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2009/11/great-photographers-on-the-internet-part-ii.html
The Rule of Thirds is a good, safe way to go and works well. But as you start studying photography, you also start to realise that many of the most of the famous photos don't apply this rule (Quite a lot actually put the subject smack bang in the centre or have horizons straight through the middle!). Instead, it is more about getting the key elements in the photo to balance and work well with each other. I'll give some thought to this and see if I can come up with a simple way to describe what I mean.
On the lighter side, for some compositional tips, try: -
http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2006/06/great-photographers-on-internet.html
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2009/11/great-photographers-on-the-internet-part-ii.html
461
Australia / Re: Buying Camera gear in Aus? Who do you use?
« on: September 26, 2011, 02:54:09 AM »
Funny that you mention warranties. I also notice that Kogan are now selling Canon and Nikon. Prices look excellent with a 60D at $876. An 1100D is $406. But The Australian did an article about them today which criticised them heavily for importing stock from Hong Kong and not having Canon Australia warranties.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/bargain-goods-at-a-cut-prive-but-watch-the-warranty/story-e6frgakx-1226141076989
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/bargain-goods-at-a-cut-prive-but-watch-the-warranty/story-e6frgakx-1226141076989
462
Australia / Re: Buying Camera gear in Aus? Who do you use?
« on: September 25, 2011, 02:46:02 AM »
BTW There's another place in Brisbane - camerapro.net.au. Not only do they do online orders, but they've they've also got a shop in the CBD. Their prices are very good and its Australian stock.
463
Australia / Re: Buying Camera gear in Aus? Who do you use?
« on: September 25, 2011, 01:19:02 AM »
The other way of thinking about the DCW experience (or as mentioned, JB Hifi) is that you can't expect staff at a high volume, low margin business to be able to dedicate a lot of time to you. When you are dealing with a company like "Teds", which does have higher margins built in, you expect a much higher level of service.
Its been interesting following the complaints from retailers and their attempts to make online shopping harder by trying to introduce customs delays and GST on all purchases. They just don't get it. Retailing is about offering good service at a convenient location. Do this right and people will happily pay a premium for your products. Get it wrong and there are numerous other suppliers out there. I worry about the remaining camera stores in Australia. If you know what you want, buying online is the way to go.
Its been interesting following the complaints from retailers and their attempts to make online shopping harder by trying to introduce customs delays and GST on all purchases. They just don't get it. Retailing is about offering good service at a convenient location. Do this right and people will happily pay a premium for your products. Get it wrong and there are numerous other suppliers out there. I worry about the remaining camera stores in Australia. If you know what you want, buying online is the way to go.
464
Australia / Re: Buying Camera gear in Aus? Who do you use?
« on: September 25, 2011, 12:47:00 AM »
Hi. I'm in Brisbane and we don't have the greatest range of stores. Therefore most of my equipment and film is purchased from B & H and Adorama. Its a little petty, but I once bought a used camera from Adorama which had an undisclosed broken control wheel. Therefore, if the price of an item is the same (which it almost always is), I go with B & H. But , on the whole, both are excellent.
I also like the Adoramapix photo books and think they are a lot better (both quality and price) when compared with local options.
The problem with buying from overseas is the cost of shipping, which has increased a lot in recent years. Therefore, for occassional small purchases, I go to Photocontinental. It is also where I normally pick up my B & W processing chemicals and I also use them for my E6 processing. Very friendly service and they have a lot of stock on hand. But their prices aren't the best. (Although their B & W film prices aren't too bad). This is my favourite shop and I wish I could buy more there. But usually their prices are just too high compared with the competition. Velvia at $22.50/roll? C'mon!
I recently tried BlancoNegro in Sydney for some paper and chemicals. They supply Foma products. Wow! Talk about top service! I definitely intend to go back.
My last camera was purchased from DigitalCameraWarehouse (an EPL-1). From what I could see, they had the best prices for what I was after in the world (after factoring in postage). And they've got a local shop. When I went to pick up the camera, I was also keen to pick up a few accessories - memory cards, extra battery, maybe a second lens. But the staff were so disinterested in helping customers that I just took the camera and left. Oddly enough, what turned me off was how they dealt with an older couple before me that were asking some really basic questions and taking their time in making a decision. (I can't remember exactly but I think it was about which P & S to go with). Just got this vibe that the level of question was well below the salesgirls high level of technical competence that it wasn't worth her time to be patient and show respect and understanding for the customer. Then I was next and only wanted to buy a $300 camera too. Sorry, but we can't all be buying a 1Ds. (Oddly enough, if I had purchased it online and had it shipped out, I wouldn't have experienced this and would probably be telling everyone how awesome they are.)
I've also purchased a few things from camerasdirect.com.au. Everything was great with them. But a couple of years ago, they were price leaders. Now they're not so much. Apart from some memory cards, its been a while since I've purchased anything from them.
Other than that, if I'm buying film on eBay I like "Pbarcelon" and "Cheap_Shots_Au". Both have good prices and ship quickly with good shipping rates.
My last purchase was from "Gadget Infinity" for a flash trigger. All good there, too.
I don't know if I've been lucky, but I've never really had a major problem with any of the suppliers I use. Even poor service (such as digitalcamerawarehouse) doesn't really phase me as they had the product I wanted, at the best price and they had it in stock in a shop a few suburbs away. What more could I ask for?
I also like the Adoramapix photo books and think they are a lot better (both quality and price) when compared with local options.
The problem with buying from overseas is the cost of shipping, which has increased a lot in recent years. Therefore, for occassional small purchases, I go to Photocontinental. It is also where I normally pick up my B & W processing chemicals and I also use them for my E6 processing. Very friendly service and they have a lot of stock on hand. But their prices aren't the best. (Although their B & W film prices aren't too bad). This is my favourite shop and I wish I could buy more there. But usually their prices are just too high compared with the competition. Velvia at $22.50/roll? C'mon!
I recently tried BlancoNegro in Sydney for some paper and chemicals. They supply Foma products. Wow! Talk about top service! I definitely intend to go back.
My last camera was purchased from DigitalCameraWarehouse (an EPL-1). From what I could see, they had the best prices for what I was after in the world (after factoring in postage). And they've got a local shop. When I went to pick up the camera, I was also keen to pick up a few accessories - memory cards, extra battery, maybe a second lens. But the staff were so disinterested in helping customers that I just took the camera and left. Oddly enough, what turned me off was how they dealt with an older couple before me that were asking some really basic questions and taking their time in making a decision. (I can't remember exactly but I think it was about which P & S to go with). Just got this vibe that the level of question was well below the salesgirls high level of technical competence that it wasn't worth her time to be patient and show respect and understanding for the customer. Then I was next and only wanted to buy a $300 camera too. Sorry, but we can't all be buying a 1Ds. (Oddly enough, if I had purchased it online and had it shipped out, I wouldn't have experienced this and would probably be telling everyone how awesome they are.)
I've also purchased a few things from camerasdirect.com.au. Everything was great with them. But a couple of years ago, they were price leaders. Now they're not so much. Apart from some memory cards, its been a while since I've purchased anything from them.
Other than that, if I'm buying film on eBay I like "Pbarcelon" and "Cheap_Shots_Au". Both have good prices and ship quickly with good shipping rates.
My last purchase was from "Gadget Infinity" for a flash trigger. All good there, too.
I don't know if I've been lucky, but I've never really had a major problem with any of the suppliers I use. Even poor service (such as digitalcamerawarehouse) doesn't really phase me as they had the product I wanted, at the best price and they had it in stock in a shop a few suburbs away. What more could I ask for?
465
Sports / Re: New Member ;-)
« on: September 22, 2011, 09:02:54 PM »
Hi. Great photos. My initial thought is that some photos were overexposed (the ones with a lot of black and white clothing). On some, the white seems to jump out. It looks like you've blown the highlights and lost detail. This works well on the sports photos, but might be a problem with wedding photos. But on closer inspection, I've changed my mind. The photos aren't overexposed, I think its just that with your chosen exposure and contrast levels, you don't have the dynamic range to keep the detail in both the dark shorts and the white shirts and socks. Unfortunately, these are common colours for weddings and difficult subjects to meter correctly due to the dynamic range. I'm not sure what the soluton is - reducing contrast settings, shooting raw or spending more time in post production? Anyway, I'm sure some of the pros could provide a few tips on photographing black suited grooms with white dressed brides. Otherwise, looks fine. Good luck!